


The Fifth Floor

by Explicit



Category: David Bowie (Musician), The Hunger (TV 1997)
Genre: Accidental Deaths, Adult Humor, Anger, Bondage, Breast Sucking, Consensual Kink, Discussion of Abortion, Disturbing scenes, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Horror, Kissing While Drunk, Love at First Sight, Murder, One Very Mild Kissing Scene With Two Guys, One sided relationship, Oral Sex, Outbursts, Police, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Rejection, Smut, Some Scary Scenes, Spanking, Strong Language, Violence, alcohol consumption, ambulance, coarse language, dead bodies, sex scenes, tantrums
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-16 09:36:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5823574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Explicit/pseuds/Explicit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Artists are quite well known for their love of solitary conditions while working, Julian Priest has moved to a new location in order to further seclude himself from both his adoring fans and outraged critics alike. But it is not meant to be, for no sooner is he settled in and working on a new piece of art, his life is suddenly turned upside down by a string of unwanted visitors who just can't seem to be able to stay alive..</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Don't Go Near The Lake

**Author's Note:**

> for Anon.

It isn't always so easy for people to just get up and relocate, but change was often necessary if one didn't wish to become chained up inside one's own mind. There was too much attention for starters, it seemed as though the world couldn't leave him alone and so he'd found somewhere new to go. Obscurity was never Julian's friend, he'd wanted the recognition and fame, now he had to learn to live with it. Another unused building had come onto the market, something intrigued him about it and so he'd sold up his old prison of a home and purchased the new one: an old asylum for the criminally insane. Probably not the best choice if one was prone to being easily spooked, clearly not a problem for Julian, who found the place rather inspiring.

 

The first night he set foot into the building he could feel his creative juices flowing once again, it made him smile to himself as he explored the place. He had purchased it 'as is', meaning nobody had bothered to clean it up, the blood, urine and puke stains were all gone but the equipment and storage lockers full of confiscated items were still there for him to go through.

 

Now, a month later, he'd managed to get the place more suitable for spending large amounts of time in. It was five floors in all, the top one overlooking a large body of water that was not as friendly as it appeared. He watched, as a gull landed safely in the calm, still waters and then, after a while, it began to flap. But the bird's legs were in the stickiness below, the more it struggled, the more it was pulled down, until it finally vanished in a splash and flurry of panicked wings and snapping beak. Some feathers floated around where the bird had once sat, Julian turned his head. He was standing out there, by the water's edge but he wasn't fool enough to get too close and there was a woman approaching him from the roadside out the front of his new home. It was a quiet place out here, tucked away among the hills and valleys, there honestly wasn't a single reason for anyone to be out this way, unless they were coming to see him. She stopped nearby and suddenly got bashful, smiling but gazing out at the water.

 

"You're a hard man to find, Mister Priest," she said to him, glancing at him briefly before turning her gaze back to the seemingly innocent lake. He didn't respond, but he acknowledged her statement with a half-hearted shrug and kept his eyes trained upon her. She looked at him as he ran his fingers through his hair to straighten it after a breeze blew through it and some strands fell over his eyes, her excitement growing as she noticed the bandage upon his left forearm.

 

"It really is you, isn't it?" she breathed, "you really are him?"

 

Julian gave a soft sigh, surely not another thrill seeker, dared to go out and bring back something to prove they'd been here? He got those sometimes, immediately he decided to ensure that his electric fence would be in working order within the next week or two, if only to avoid such childish spook-games.

 

"Listen I've come a long, long way to see you, y'know," she spoke again, "the least you can do is say something."

 

"I'm not here to entertain you," Julian finally answered her, "if you want to see my work, visit an exhibition like everyone else."

 

The woman smiled, confirmation seemed to have been her goal but now she was walking closer to the water's edge, then she slowly stripped off and began to walk in. Julian continued to watch her silently, his expression not changing as her movements got slower.

 

"Why don't you strip off and join me?" she called to him, giving a coy smile that was ruined only by her confusion at suddenly being unable to move.

 

"I shouldn't think so," Julian declined her offer, fascination in his expression now as she began to try and walk back towards him. Almost there, but she got stuck and couldn't lift her legs anymore, she began to get pulled down and she reached her hands out.

 

"Help!" she called to him, afraid of drowning now, "please!"

 

Julian remained quite still, he didn't know her, he hadn't invited her here, why should he do a damn thing? She kept struggling, fear making her eyes grow wide until he could see the whites all around them as she realized he wasn't in any great hurry to assist her at all.

 

"Julian!" she tried again.

 

"I'm sorry," he shook his head, "I've not got anywhere near the strength to pull you out."

 

She looked livid and frightened all at once.

 

"You're not even going to try?!" she demanded, "I'm going to drown!"

 

"Not for some hours yet," Julian tried to console her, "just try to keep your chin up."

 

She was shocked into silence at his flippant behavior, Julian sat down and gave her absolutely no misconceptions about his intentions, he simply couldn't help her. The woman tried to calm herself, she needed to think straight and perhaps try to appeal to his compassionate side, surely he had to have one in there somewhere? She told him her name was Becky and that she was still in Uni, she told him she was looking forward to the holidays because her sister was having a baby and she was going to be the Godmother to it, but no matter what she said to him, Julian continued to simply sit in silence and stare calmly at her.

 

It wasn't until the mud had her buried up to her chest and the water was lapping at her chin that she finally decided he was actually serious, she'd been holding onto the frail hope that, once she was about halfway submerged, he'd suddenly get up and haul her out of there.

 

"How can you just sit there?" she started to get very angry in her desperation for him to help her, "you must have ropes! There surely is a way?"

 

She had been told about him, people had warned her to stay away from this man when she'd told them excitedly that she was looking to meet him, she was starting to see why but it was far too little and far too late. Julian looked over his shoulder, he supposed he could have tried to throw her a rope but he still only had his own strength to rely upon in order to haul her on out of the muck. There were no trees or rocks or any other permanent fixtures around for him to tie the rope around, only himself and he really, really did not want to join her down there, he wasn't weak but he wasn't strong enough to achieve such a task, either.

 

"It's a bit of a walk," he replied firmly, "I'd never make it back in time. Can I call someone for you?"

 

"A rescue phone call would have been an idea," she growled at him and Julian looked slowly up at the darkening sky, "don't you think?"

 

Julian sighed softly again, shaking his head.

 

"You have mere seconds left," he warned her, "can I call some- "

 

She went under, thrashing about for perhaps a minute and then the lake's surface was as still and as calm as it had been before. He clawed at the soft dirt where he was seated, staring at the very same place where she'd been just moments ago but this had never happened before, he did call for rescue once, just to see what they would do if anyone ever actually did get stuck but nobody came. Either the place he lived in had far too great a spook-factor for even the police to come by, or they simply did not believe him, whatever the reason, he knew it'd be pointless to give the poor woman false hope that somebody was coming to save her.

 

After ten more minutes, he slowly got to his feet and kicked her clothes into the water, then he turned away and retreated back to his home in the old asylum, he was really tired and could use a bit of sleep anyway, somebody would undoubtedly come looking for her sooner or later, of that he was certain. He couldn't deny that she was here, her car was still parked outside his home, perhaps it was time to get a large warning sign for that lake, before someone else wandered unknowingly into it but then he didn't get many visitors out here, so what really was the point? Something tugged at his mind though, he knew about the water, why hadn't he said something? He should have stopped her, or at least tried to.

 

Julian lay down on a bed in one of the rooms, it had straps hanging from the sides but he had no use for them right now, there was no sense in beating himself up about it, he'd just have to go ahead and get that sign up before it happened again. He closed his eyes, the prospect of more visitors plaguing his mind as he drifted into a dreamless sleep, he was right in the middle of a new artwork too, so the timing could not have been any more wrong.


	2. The Search Party

Two days went by and Julian was becoming complacent, working on his newest creation, when he suddenly heard the sound of an engine approaching. Setting down a metal bucket that was filled with some of the sticky mud from the lake outside, he wiped his hands on an old cloth and wandered over to the window. Two women and a man got out of the car, they circled the one that had been left parked outside his home and then they all gazed up at the building with apprehensive determination. Julian took off his butcher's apron and hung it up carefully, then he proceeded to head back downstairs long before the people outside had gathered up the nerve to knock on his front door.

 

"It's her car alright," said Flynn, glancing around, "I guess they weren't lying when they said she came out here, but where could she be?"

 

"Surely she didn't spend the last few nights in _there?_ " wondered Bianca, looking up at the white barred windows with a shudder.

 

"Maybe he fancied her," Jill smirked nervously, trying to stay positive.

 

"Come on," Flynn led the way towards the foreboding building, "let's just find her and get the fuck outta here, this place gives me the creeps!"

 

"I'm pretty sure it's been fully renovated by now," Bianca said hopefully, but she couldn't get the ill feeling out of her flip flopping guts as they approached the door.

 

Julian watched them from inside, leaning on the wall and staring at them out of the window, peering through the shuttered blinds. He swore as they knocked, anger burning within his chest but his appearance was calm when he opened the door to gaze upon them expectantly. The three backed off a short way, clearly nervous of him because Julian had a sort of cult status for being quite off the wall with his art, appreciating shock value and even going so far as to dissect his own left forearm on live television, hence the bandage. He no longer needed it, as it had scarred and healed over but it was hideously disfiguring and he didn't appreciate to look at it any more than another person would.

 

"You're here for," Julian spoke first, giving pause as he struggled to recall the woman's name, "Becky, right?"

 

"Yeah," Flynn was the first to respond, having found his voice suddenly, "she was supposed to meet us in town a couple of days ago."

 

"But she never showed up," Bianca added.

 

"So you came looking," Julian finished their explanation for them, "well, she's not here."

 

He went to close the door, but Jill hurried forwards and stuck her foot in, preventing him from being able to shut it all the way.

 

"Please," she said gently, "I need to know where my sister is."

 

Julian looked down at her baby bump, she must have been nearly halfway through her pregnancy by now.

 

"I told you, she isn't here," he insisted.

 

"But that's her car," Flynn argued, "so she's gotta be around here someplace."

 

"Can we just take a quick look around, please?" Bianca asked him, "then I promise we'll leave you alone, okay?"

 

Julian looked at them hesitantly, if he didn't let them at least take one look around, they'd probably come back later with the police, just because they hadn't come out upon his phone call didn't mean they wouldn't try to look brave in front of tourists.

 

"Fine," he said reluctantly, opening his door wider, "but make it quick and don't fucking touch anything, got it?"

 

They nodded, thanked him quietly and filed in, one after the other with Flynn and Bianca in the lead, while Jill hesitantly brought up the rear.

 

Julian closed the door with a purposefully loud bang, startling them all at once and they turned to look at him, but he did not smile or make them feel even the slightest bit welcome.

 

As Flynn and Bianca ventured forwards and began to explore the ground floor, Jill hung back and decided that the safest place to be was right there in the foyer, where she could see the front door and get out quickly if she needed to. Julian did not seem phased by her decision, it seemed as though it was more Bianca and Flynn that were pissing him off right now, so she sank down into a nearby armchair to wait for her friends to either find Becky or give up and announce that she really wasn't here after all.

 

"This could take weeks," Bianca sighed, "maybe we should split up?"

 

"We have to stick together," Flynn replied firmly.

 

"Oh come on," Bianca looked over at him, "you're not still scared, are you? Look around! It's just his house!"

 

It was true, the entire first floor looked perfectly normal with a living room, kitchen, bathroom..

 

"Let's go upstairs," Flynn ignored her, "maybe she's tied up someplace."

 

Bianca rolled her eyes but followed him upstairs, they paused when they realized the rest of the place was as it had been - rows and rows of padded rooms with single beds and small toilets in them. Flynn raised a brow at Bianca, gesturing to the long hallway.

 

"Maybe he just hasn't gotten around to it yet," she tried weakly.

 

"Okay," Flynn gave in, "we'll have to split up or we're never going to be able to search all of the floors."

 

"Where's Jill?" Bianca suddenly looked around.

 

"I thought she was right behind us," Flynn replied, glancing to another staircase, "I'm going up there to start from the top floor, I'll meet you on my way down."

 

"Alright," Bianca agreed, "I'll meet you on my way up then."

 

"Be careful," Flynn said firmly, leaning in to kiss her.

 

Bianca smiled and kissed him back, they startled when they noticed Julian, just a little down the hallway, watching them. Flynn pulled back and cleared his throat, glared at Julian and hurried upstairs, while Bianca retreated down further along the hallway.

 

Julian turned his gaze to the stairs, his artwork was in a locked room on the fifth floor, so he knew it was quite safe but that didn't mean he was comfortable with people wandering around in his home. Jill called him from downstairs, so Julian reluctantly turned and walked back to where she sat, by the front door in his foyer.

 

"Oh, there you are," Jill smiled uneasily at him, "I'm sorry, I get nervous when I'm alone."

 

He looked at her as she rubbed her stomach, of course she would, if the baby decided to arrive early then she'd be in a world of strife if someone wasn't around to help her.

 

"It's Flynn's," she told him with a faint smile when she noticed him watching her, "we're supposed to get married next month, I can't wait."

 

Julian pursed his lips, he had figured Bianca and Flynn were the item, not Jill at all, not after the way he'd just seen them making out and groping one another upstairs a moment ago.

 

"Do you trust him?" Julian wondered.

 

"I love him," Jill replied, lifting her chin defensively.

 

Julian inclined his head.

 

"That's not what I asked.. "


	3. Life Lessons And Harsh Truths

Jill was having a nicer time of it than the others, Julian was quite accommodating and brought her a cup of tea while she waited and she began to feel at ease around him, asking him about his work and delighting in his intelligent responses. It surprised her to no end that he was well spoken, passionate and very clever, she got the sense from him that he was very curious and bold.

 

Julian relaxed as well, but he was getting anxious about how long the other two were taking and he told Jill that he was going to look for them, in case they'd gotten lost somewhere upstairs. Jill nodded and watched him walk away, but she knew where everything was by now and she didn't feel too worried, knowing he'd come back soon to check on her, which was more than what she had expected of him to be quite honest. She was a stranger in his home, she should be feeling most unwelcome, but she wasn't.

 

Upstairs, Julian carefully made his way to the second floor because his home was a silent place and he knew it quite well, there were sounds coming from halfway along the hall, so he followed them into a padded room where he found the two, groping and making out on the bed. Julian wandered in and stood by the tiny slot of a window, squinting to see outside because it was so tiny and when they finally noticed him, they jumped up quickly and straightened their clothes. Julian casually looked at them, one brow lifted in question.

 

"So," he said calmly, "did you find her?"

 

Bianca hurried out of the room and continued on her search, red faced and humiliated but Flynn stayed behind.

 

"What's behind that locked door on the fifth floor?" Flynn wondered, suddenly suspicious.

 

"None of your fucking business," Julian grumbled, he didn't like anyone to see his works in progress, it ruined everything for him. Flynn thought strongly about locking Julian in the room until he agreed to be more cooperative, Julian was unaware of this train of thought as he looked back outside again and sighed softly.

 

"Not many people are lucky enough to find someone special in their lives, Flynn," Julian said quietly, glancing back at him once more, "how long do you think it would take to go mad in here?"

 

Flynn wasn't keen on being judged and the question caught him by surprise as it was quite an odd thing to wonder, but Julian said nothing more about it, he just shook his head and moved towards the door, suddenly closing it behind him. Flynn snapped his head around and rushed to the door, but it was locked and he couldn't pry it open, no matter how hard he tried. Flynn shouted and kicked at the door, but even though Julian was standing right there on the other side of it, he could hear nothing of Flynn's desperate attempts to get out of there. Soundproofing was clearly in place, good to know..

 

Julian turned his sights upon the nearby stairs, he could hear the floor creaking just above him and he knew that Bianca was up there, trying to find Becky. Julian wasn't sure why he hadn't simply told them, perhaps he was bored and in need of something to amuse him for a while, but he wasn't exactly finding any of this in the least bit funny at all. However, he was finding it interesting and as his curiosity grew, he found himself soon stalking Bianca up on the third floor. He found her weeping in the corner of another padded room, she looked tired and without hope, also afraid when she looked up and noticed him by the door.

 

Julian watched her shrink back from his presence, she'd heard things about him, as had just about everybody, but not a lot of the stories actually rang true and many were just yarns spun by teenagers to frighten each other and somehow those stories had managed to reach adult ears. He found it fascinating just how easily people wanted to believe the bad things they heard, without even so much as questioning it and yet if a good deed was done, proof was asked for nearly every single time. Julian did not bother talking to her, he really didn't need to and he simply pulled the door shut on her. Bianca sat in stunned silence for a minute, unable to fully register what had just happened or what was going on, did he lock her up just now? She slowly crept over to the door and tried it, but there was no handle or knob, just a flat, metal door with padding over it.

 

Julian walked away, he couldn't hear her suddenly screaming at the top of her lungs, or the way she threw her entire body against the door as he slowly descended the stairs and returned to see if Jill needed anything further. Jill glanced up when she saw him and she smiled warmly in greeting, it'd been getting quiet and lonely down there by herself, so he was a welcome sight indeed, despite her previous fear of him.

 

"Did you find them?" she wondered, getting to her feet.

 

"No," Julian said to her, looking confused, "there was a back entrance door left wide open, I suppose they've decided to search the grounds."

 

"Oh," Jill clasped her hands in front of herself, "I guess that makes sense, I mean, she could be anywhere."

 

Julian did not respond, his gaze drifted outside to the cars parked along the front of his home and Jill saw the sunlight catch his eyes and hair, it made her breath feel like it was stolen away and her heart fluttered while her cheeks flushed hotly. His gaze returned to her and his brow furrowed, concerned.

 

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her, "can I get you a drink?"

 

Jill smiled at him, she felt terrible for having naughty thoughts about Julian just now, because she was still very much in love with Flynn, but it made her give pause and wonder if she truly loved him or not, because he had never made her feel this way before.

 

"I'm just a little confused," she admitted, "suddenly I'm not sure how I feel right now."

 

Julian waited for her to explain, but she just took his hand shyly and rubbed his thumb with hers. He gently pulled away, taking a step back from her.

 

"It is easy to fall for someone when they're kind to you," Julian warned her, "real love doesn't happen that quickly, you don't know me."

 

"I didn't really know Flynn either," Jill said softly.

 

"But you got pregnant and settled," Julian guessed. Jill nodded, lowering her eyes as though she were ashamed of herself.

 

"You're a lovely woman, Jill," Julian told her firmly, "you could do better than that."

 

She smiled as he walked away from her, he was effortlessly making her fall in love with him without really meaning to or even trying.

 

Julian did not plan to leave the others locked up in the rooms, his intention was to freak them out, shock them just enough to make them desperate to leave so he could get back to his work in peace and enjoy his privacy again, he didn't have an evil bone in his body but things were about to get out of hand as he returned to let Flynn out first. Julian unlocked the door and Flynn lunged at him, dragging him into the room and thrusting him into the padded wall, making him grunt but he felt glad that it hadn't been brick because his back had struck it quite solidly. Flynn looked half crazed, but he was just given a fright and had believed he'd been left in there to die, so he was rightfully angry and seethed in Julian's face.

 

"You made a huge mistake coming in here," Flynn spoke through clenched teeth and Julian resisted but was dragged over to the bed roughly. He could have pulled free, but Flynn had his left forearm in a vice grip and it was a tender area for Julian, even with the bandage on and he winced painfully as Flynn tried to wrestle him down but in the end, it was Flynn who got strapped to the bed instead of Julian. Flynn began to thrash wildly but he barely was able to move, Julian breathed heavily and stumbled back, he had been taken by surprise but managed to get the upper hand, Flynn was furious that he hadn't managed to tie Julian to the bed, for he would have certainly left the artist there to rot without a second thought. Julian pulled across the mouth guard and straps, preventing Flynn from talking or being able to bite, it also kept his head still and in place.

 

"I was coming to let you out!" Julian scolded him angrily, then he got a thoughtful look on his face and left the room, locking it shut behind him once more. Flynn could only move his eyes now, regret deep within his sorrowful expression but it was far too late for apologies now.


	4. Open To Interpretation

Julian looked to the stairs, would Bianca react the same way? He hadn't meant for this to happen, any of it! 

 

"Julian?" Jill's voice came from downstairs.

 

He hesitated, just wanting this all to be over with and needing to be left alone while he worked, he suddenly regretted answering the door at all and he walked back down to see what she wanted this time. Running his fingers through his hair to get it out of his face again, Julian's eyes met with Jill's as she stood waiting for him to return and she seemed to notice his shift in demeanor.

 

"I think we should just go," Jill said to him anxiously, "we shouldn't have come here to bother you."

 

"I don't begrudge you searching for your sister," Julian told her, "but I did assure you she wasn't here."

 

Jill thought that perhaps Becky's car had stopped working, she was probably back in town, trying to arrange for a tow truck!

 

"I think I know where she is!" Jill suddenly exclaimed brightly, "would you tell Flynn and Bianca to come down, please?"

 

Julian made no attempts to move, or follow her request and Jill slowly stopped smiling, curious as to why he wasn't so accommodating anymore.

 

"Julian?" she prompted him.

 

"I think you should just go," Julian told her firmly. Jill felt a cold dread enter into her chest and make it tighten, she swallowed nervously but stood her ground with him.

 

"I can't leave without them," she said softly, "please?"

 

She drew closer to him, he stepped backwards but she kept walking towards him until his back was against a wall, she stroked his cheek gently and admired his face and eyes, he swatted her hand away but it did nothing to deter her.

 

"It must get very lonely in your line of work," she said quietly, placing her hands on his chest and leaning in closer, kissing his ear, his cheek, the corner of his mouth.. Julian closed his eyes and accepted to kiss with her briefly, then he twisted away from her and she felt his rejection sting into her heart like a wasp.

 

"Julian," she whispered.

 

He looked back at her, so she drew closer and he didn't back off this time so she felt encouraged. Her hand came to rest upon his shoulder, sliding along to gently cup the side of his neck as she leaned in to kiss him once more, her other hand snaking around his waist to bring them closer together. Julian was drawn in to kiss with her, a soft sigh escaping his lips as they parted and her tongue slipped into his mouth, but her protruding belly soon jolted him out of his haze and he gently pushed her back, she felt disappointed and just a little bit foolish even though she could see he was turned on by her advances.

 

"I'm sorry," she said with a blush, "I just, I thought- "

 

Julian averted his gaze, his cheeks aflame with her as well.

 

"You know, don't you?" he said quietly and she nodded, unfallen tears in her eyes, of course she knew, Bianca and Flynn weren't exactly stealthy in their 'secret'.

 

Perhaps that was enough to make it seem okay, perhaps he'd have caved in on his own eventually anyway but whatever had transpired between them just now, Jill sensed that her third attempt would not be met with any resistance and sure enough, Julian turned towards her this time as she approached him and she met her eyes with his. Her heart sped up and her hands trembled, he embraced her and they kissed long and slow, hands gliding over one another's bodies, keen to explore. She stood back and took off his shirt, unbuttoning it and sliding it down over his arms to let it fall onto the floor, her eyes immediately attracted to the bandage because it wasn't something she'd been expecting to see.

 

Reminded of what he'd done to it, Jill carefully began to unlatch and unwrap the white cloth while Julian looked on, captivated but self conscious all at once. He began to withdraw his arm, but she clasped it firmly and the bandage fell away, leaving exposed what could be called quite the most grotesque piece of art he'd ever created. Jill carefully ran her her fingertips softly over the area, a slight shudder going down her spine as she recalled watching him doing it, eyes glued to the television screen and unable to look away, despite the way she flinched and squirmed in discomfort at the time. She looked up at his eyes as she felt his fingers in her hair, he leaned in to kiss her again and she moaned to encourage him further.

 

Julian was aware of his lustful intentions towards her, but he wasn't in love with her and he didn't really know if that was acceptable or even fair to her. He stared, watching as she pulled back and lifted his arm towards her lips, she kissed the horrible scar and flicked out her tongue over it, making him gasp softly because it didn't hurt. It was sensitive, she knew this and while that made it easier to hurt him, it could also work the other way around and give him a heightened sense of pleasure in that particular place. His response was exactly what Jill had been looking to confirm, he was mesmerized by her apparent lack of disgust and the way she mouthed and kissed at his arm, her breath tickled at the healed skin there and her tongue swept over it so softly that he couldn't bite back a sudden gentle moan that escaped him because he hadn't been expecting it at all to happen.

 

"Julian," she whispered softly once more, her breath tickling his arm again, "are you a good man?"

 

He hesitantly shook his head, no and Jill had to wonder if he really believed that, he seemed alright to her so far but then, she had only just met him. Her gaze fell upon his exposed chest, her heart thumping harder as she lusted for him and she couldn't help noticing his impressive bulge by now, right there, tenting his pants.

 

"Would you ask me to leave?" Jill wondered.

 

"Leave," he responded obediently, mistaking her question for a command.

 

"No," Jill smiled at him, pulling him deeper into her embrace and kissing his mouth, slipping her tongue inside as his lips parted once again.

 

He'd tried to warn her, why wouldn't she listen? Nothing good ever came of such ventures for Julian, people thought they could be his friend or his lover, but always something would happen, something bad, but they always had to find it out for themselves, despite his clear warning signals and reluctance in the beginning to even start anything up with them..


	5. His Inner Beast

"Oh! Julian!" Jill moaned loudly as he squeezed her breasts and kissed and bit softly at her neck, his hands sliding down over her body to cup and fondle her ass, "oohh!"

 

Julian felt her hands on his back, her fingernails clawing lightly over his skin to reveal her lust for him, he stopped only to help her out of her clothes and he turned her around to face the wall. She placed her hands on the wall and felt his hands running up over her legs to her thighs, which were already moist with her arousal by now and she moaned with desire. Julian felt her wetness before he reached her pussy, his fingers soon coming up to stroke and fondle her soft folds, a deep hum resonated from his throat and thrilled her as she parted her thighs willingly and thrust her ass out towards him.

 

Taking the hint, Julian nosed his way in between her legs and started to lick and suckle at her dripping pussy, pulling the slick folds into his mouth and dipping his tongue into her as deeply as he could, having to really open his mouth wide in order to seriously fuck her with it, his chin was soon wet with her juices and the room filled with her noisy moans and squeals. She tried to squeeze her thighs together but his strong hands held them apart quite firmly, so she was unable to help herself as she felt herself thrusting in time with his tongue, she arched and blushed as she felt herself coming very hard. Julian groaned, eyes rolling closed as she surrendered to him, her scent was everywhere and the sweet taste of her release was his reward, as he fought to hold her jolting, writhing body still while she orgasmed and he knew he was going to have to do something about himself now as well.

 

"Ohh Julian!" Jill gasped and breathed heavily, panting breathlessly, "I've never been licked like that before!"

 

His responding hum was deep and sexy, she shivered and jolted again, thrusting against his mouth as he hadn't yet moved away from her, he was simply enjoying the taste of her pussy far too much to even think of pulling away too soon. Jill carefully moved though and he had to stop, but he flared up and pushed her back into the wall, making her startle and gasp as she stared worriedly into his flashing eyes because his hand was firmly at her neck and squeezing in anger.

 

"Don't!" he raised his voice firmly.

 

"J-Julian," Jill spoke soothingly and tried to not panic, "shhh.. baby.. no.. shhh.. come on.. "

 

She began stroking his cock through his pants, her eyes lowered and not met with his to try and calm him down. Being an artist, he would of course be prone to temperamental outbursts, she knew this, she had often worked with people like him but then again, there really was nobody quite like him out there, so it was anyone's guess as to how he might react to any given situation.

 

"I was-wasn't finished," he spoke again, a little more calmly this time.

 

"I'm sorry, baby," she apologized gently, "I didn't know."

 

He groaned deeply, his voice thrilling her as she dared to lift her gaze and watch his face contort with unmasked pleasure, making her feel all hot and bothered again as she boldly tugged at his pants. Julian's eyes opened slowly, meeting with her gaze heatedly in silent questioning. Jill continued to free his rigid cock, it sprung out and she dared to look down at it, instantly in love with the length and girth of him, he was definitely well endowed, she'd not personally seen a cock of his impressive size before.

 

"Oh wow, baby!" she smiled encouragingly at him, "you're so big!"

 

His responding smile was surprisingly amused, Julian had never compared his package to anyone else's, far too involved with his work and passionately so, everything he did was art in his mind, so he naturally got defensive if he never got to finish something he'd started but her comment had caught him off guard. He wouldn't know, the only naked men he'd ever seen were corpses and he'd never really taken much notice of their dicks anyway, that wasn't where his mind naturally wandered to, far from it in fact.

 

"You seem surprised," Jill was genuinely amazed, "ah!"

 

He hooked her leg around his waist, rubbing the stiff lance in question against her slick pussy, making it feel hot and ooze with her juices all over his throbbing rod. He leaned in to kiss her and she captured his lips with her own, feeling the head of his cock suddenly burning into her like a spear as it pushed at her wet entrance and she thrust upwards to try and help him in. Julian's soft grunts and groans thrilled and seduced her, she moaned and hitched her other leg around his waist, forcing him to hold onto her and support her as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, no longer standing up but rather clinging to him firmly and grinding herself against him. Julian stumbled slightly, his trousers falling to his feet and tripping him up, but he managed to steady himself and step out of them carefully, Jill felt his legs shaking under her weight and he stooped, she gasped but felt the coffee table pressing against her back and she knew he hadn't dropped her.

 

Turning onto her side, one leg pulled up so that her knee was against her chest, Jill felt him fucking her pussy from behind, the position was awkward and uncomfortable but she couldn't stop herself from moaning and pushing back into him with each of his thrusts. She cried out with each pound of his thick cock as it slid into her yielding pussy, harder and faster as his excitement grew and his control lessened, her eyes rolled back and she closed them with defeated mewls of pleasure, unable to form a coherent word.

 

Julian gasped and panted, breathing heavily and groaning deeply, thinking the poor woman hadn't ever had it any good if she was already speechless and he had no idea just how right he was, because Jill had only ever really been with guys who just sort of had sex and that was it really. No thrills, no experimental positions and certainly no real pleasure, at least, not like this, not so intense as this by far. His breath was in her ear now, bursting out with soft groans that grew in desperation, the higher pitch now sending her into throes of extreme arousal as he sounded almost feminine by this point, only shattered by his outcry of climax that was most definitely deep and masculine.

 

His fingers were slicking over her wet clitoris, two fingertips on either side of it and she felt herself streaming over his cock as she suddenly erupted into orgasm for a second release, her voice breaking as she screamed her pleasure, throwing her head back only to have his mouth clamped over hers, a very heated and passionate kiss ensued until they both stopped shaking and trembling, calming slowly as they rode out their sexual peaks. His hand was squeezing her breast now, pulling at it and pinching the nipple, using the small squirts of milk that seeped out to circle around the protruding tips and she writhed in ecstasy all the more.

 

Gasping, finally coming back into her right mind, Jill's breaths calmed and she continued making out with Julian, remembering the last time she'd pulled away too soon and simply enjoying his attentions for as long as he felt he needed to give them to her.


	6. Backfire

Taking his time was something Julian liked to do, no matter what he did, it had to be perfect or at least as acceptably close to perfect as he could get it, such was his stubborn way of looking at things, if it wasn't worth doing perfectly then why do it at all?

 

Drawing back from the kiss, he looked into her eyes and Jill found herself utterly enthralled by him, she'd never felt this way about anyone before and she knew she couldn't ever feel it for anyone else, not anyone, ever.

 

"I wish I'd have met you a long time ago," she said to him softly, oh if only.

 

Julian caressed her face and she leaned into his touch, his fingers traced over her lips and he let his expression soften at her words, the sentiment was there for now but surely she was only lost in the moment and not seriously considering staying with him? Jill tried to cuddle with him, but Julian shifted and let her know he was done with her right now, so she felt embarrassed and let him move away from her, sliding down to sit on the floor as he stood naked before her and she could not help but admire his body all over again, for even flaccid his cock was long and thick, she felt it'd never cease to amaze her no matter how often she would get to see it. Julian was a private sort of man with such things, he actually surprised himself for being so quick to fall into her arms just now but he soon sorted out his clothes and was dressed long before she was able to regain the strength in her knees to stand up. Julian carefully helped her to get up off the floor, she thanked him quietly and went to take a shower, so Julian's mind instantly diverted back to his artwork upstairs.

 

He frowned, because he felt like he was forgetting something and then he remembered Flynn and Bianca with a tired sigh, what to do with them? He felt that if he let Flynn go, he'd just try and fight again and Julian was more than capable of holding his own, he would just prefer to avoid it if at all possible. He was starting to really hate Flynn, anger burning and bubbling up from his guts into his chest and making his throat tighten and his brow furrow, but perhaps if he let Bianca out and she unstrapped Flynn herself, she'd convince the cunt to leave and then he could get back to his art. With these intentions in mind, Julian hurried upstairs to the third floor and he carefully unlocked the door to the room where he'd left Bianca, but as he pushed the door open and peered inside, his gaze met with quite the surreal sight indeed.

 

Convinced that she was being abandoned in the room, the silence getting to her and all the morbid ghost stories of Julian using actual people in his art, rather than stuff he claimed was simply made to look as real as possible, Bianca had tried desperately to chew through the padding and ended up swallowing huge chunks of it, only to gag and vomit but it had nowhere to go and she'd ended up choking and suffocated, her lifeless body now slumped against the bed behind the door. Julian breathed heavily for several moments, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now, he'd been investigated before and was found completely innocent, he'd go to prison for this though and that simply did not sit well with him at all. His mind flicked back to the lake outside, but Jill would easily see him if he tried to drag the body out there and dump it in, then he stopped and felt a calm wash over him. Of course.. He grabbed up her legs and dragged her out of the room, he could go either way from here, upstairs or down, he simply had to choose what he wanted to do with her. It'd be easy to blame Flynn, just drag the body into his room and unstrap him just enough so that he could get himself free, then he could come back later and 'discover' the grisly scene, case closed but his ever defiant mind was surging with an idea and he held back to reflect upon it. Wouldn't she look great in his new piece.. 

 

Downstairs and completely out of the loop, Jill made herself comfortable after her shower and settled in with a coffee to watch some television in the living room, she didn't know where Julian had gone off to, but she wouldn't bother him right now, he was probably eager to get back to whatever he'd been doing before they had arrived and possibly interrupted him and besides, if her friends returned, she wanted to be here where they had last seen her so they wouldn't need to go off and look for her. She was quite content for the moment, it didn't even recur to her memory that she was inside an insane asylum for criminals with an artist whose work was renown for being macabre and rumored to contain actual human and animal body parts, some stories even going so far as to say he butchered the parts himself while others claimed he dug them up from graves, then still others say he bought the parts from crooked doctors who had access to the morgues of hospitals. She simply shrugged it off right now, his work was shocking and this was his intention, it got people talking and good or bad, it was attention just the same and it worked for him, he was successful and obviously had a fair bit of money tucked away for his efforts.

 

Upstairs, Julian had settled for his first thought and left Bianca in the room with Flynn, he knew it wasn't going to be much fun to stick around, so he unstrapped the enraged young man and made a quick exit, locking the door shut behind him while Flynn struggled to free himself the rest of the way, eventually rolling off the bed and screaming as he saw Bianca's condition up close and wishing they had simply taken Julian's advice and just left, he regretted ever having set foot inside this building for he now was completely uncertain as to whether he'd actually see the outside world ever again. He couldn't work it out, what had happened to Becky? And why was Bianca dead? But then he grew pale and turned slowly to look at the door, what did Julian have next in mind? Flynn didn't want to be next, but there was no way out of here, no way to escape, what could he do?

 

He stood up and gathered his wits about him, the very next time that door opened, he would have to just lunge forwards and beat the life out of Julian, before he had the chance to act upon his plans, whatever they may be. Flynn got down low to the floor, readying himself and tensing his muscles like coiled springs, psyching himself up for the attack, he'd never killed anyone before but he wasn't about to sit idly by and let someone take his life!


	7. Morning In Bondage

Hours later, Jill startled awake and blinked, yawning and stretching but she hadn't meant to fall asleep.

 

"Sorry, did I wake you?" came Julian's voice and she smiled at him warmly, taking notice of the dinner resting on the coffee table to cool off for her.

 

"It's okay," she said, sitting up straighter, "what time is it?"

 

"Just after ten," Julian responded, watching her intently.

 

"At night?!" Jill's eyes grew wide, "where is everyone??"

 

They should have been back by now, Becky or no Becky, Jill was getting very worried.

 

"Shall I go and look for them?" Julian offered.

 

"No!" Jill said quickly, surprising them both, "I mean, everyone's disappearing around here, I don't want you to vanish as well."

 

Julian relaxed his shoulders, settling back into the armchair as Jill picked up her plate and began to eat her meal hungrily, not noticing the way Julian turned his head at her lack of table manners. His artwork was messy but he still had some class when it came to proper eating habits, but he said nothing and forgave her only because she was pregnant and clearly hadn't eaten for much of the day.

 

"Are you staying the night?" Julian wondered. Jill looked up and nodded, keen to spend more time alone with him as she found him simply divine.

 

"If you don't mind," she responded politely.

 

"I'll try to find you a nice room," Julian suggested.

 

"Or I could just share your bed," Jill gave him a cheeky smile.

 

"I really don't feel like it tonight," Julian refused. Jill set down her empty plate, amazing Julian at how quickly she had managed to devour it all without choking.

 

"Is that all it is with us?" Jill wondered to him, "is it just sex, Julian?"

 

"What else could it be?" he asked her right back, "I've just met you."

 

Jill had to give him that one and fell silent, but then she figured that if she stuck around long enough, he could get to know her and maybe even fall in love with her, so she didn't argue because the last thing she wanted to do was fight with him.

 

"Any room is fine," she said at last, easing a smile back onto her face, they were pretty much all the same anyway, right?  Julian nodded and leaned back, closing his eyes and breathing deeply after a while so that Jill honestly believed he was sleeping.

 

"Julian?" she whispered gently. He gave a startle and then snapped his eyes open, she felt badly for waking him but he didn't look angry or upset.

 

"What is it?" he wondered drowsily.

 

"Perhaps you should go to bed, you look beat," Jill told him. Julian slowly stood up and agreed with her, he did feel quite exhausted.

 

"Goodnight," he said to her, "don't go up to the second floor, alright?"

 

Jill nodded absently, watching him wander off and she had to smile at the contrasting way she was looking at him right then, he was a sleepy eyed little boy and she found it simply adorable. A far cry from the man who was furious at her earlier today, gripping her throat tightly enough to frighten her into thinking he might actually hurt her, it was a compromise to have to deal with that side of him but she was willing to accept Julian along with his outbursts, she was pretty sure she was clever enough to be able to defuse the situation before it could escalate, after all, she'd done it once today already, hadn't she? Or had she just been very lucky this time?

 

She got up off the sofa and had a nice, cold drink of juice and then she wandered up from the ground floor to the first floor to locate a bed, as she'd thought - they were all the same and she just lay down and fell asleep within minutes, thinking about Julian and the way his lips tasted and the softness of his heated flesh against her own.

 

 

She woke up the next morning, her panties soaking after having dreamt about Julian sneaking into her room and giving her oral pleasure, but she found that she was quite unable to move and the hot, wet feeling between her legs hadn't gone yet, was she still dreaming? She moaned loudly and tried to look around, but she was completely strapped down with only her legs able to move but they were being held tightly in place by a pair of large, strong hands.

 

"Ohh! J-Julian?" she moaned louder, guiltily hoping it wasn't Flynn.

 

"Mmm," the deep moan relaxed her as she recognized Julian's hum, her panties were soaked through and his tongue continued to lick and suckle at them, taunting her throbbing pussy that felt like it would catch fire if he didn't fuck her soon.

 

"Juliannn!" she cried out to him, wanting to arch her back but finding herself unable to do so, "yesss! Baby, please! Please, fuck me!"

 

He gave a grumbling sound and hurriedly whisked off her panties, delving his tongue deeply into her pulsing pussy, making her cry out again as she bucked into his rhythmic tongue-fucking as best she could.

 

"Ohh, you're so bad!" she scolded him for tying her up in her sleep, then she squealed as he nipped and bit at her inner thighs, suddenly attacking her clitoris exclusively just to make her quiver, his fingers now replacing his tongue as they plunged deep into her and she quickly surrendered, jolting and calling his name with unbridled fervor as the orgasm washed over her and took control of her nearly immobile body. Julian felt her clamping around his fingers, he pushed them in deeper until she whined and whimpered, then he slowly slid them out and moved to where she could see him, smirking down at her wickedly.

 

"I wouldn't mind waking up to this every morning," Jill purred lazily, "why don't you untie me, so I can return the favor?"

 

Julian touched her face gently, gazing into her eyes and she felt her heart fluttering again, it had to be love at first sight, but he did not share her sentiment and so she kept her mouth shut about it.

 

"I'm going to fuck you now," he told her simply, "just be still."

 

She looked on as he stripped off, thrilling at his naked body and yearned to reach out and touch him, but she was securely strapped to the bed and couldn't so much as even wriggle her fingers.

 

"What if I said no?" Jill wondered, as he climbed up onto the bed with her. Julian leaned over her, his body pressing firmly against hers and his lips now upon her neck, making her moan and whimper for him to just get on with it and take her hard and fast. He hitched her leg around his waist, rubbing her ass and spanking it twice, Jill cried out in surprise and felt the sting as her ass turned pink, she'd never been slapped before and it had startled her.

 

"You can't say no," Julian answered her, his breathy whisper onto her ear making her shiver with excited thrills all down her body. He was right of course, for the moment at least, she was so taken with him that she'd have agreed to just about anything and she really wasn't at all upset with his sneaky surprise attack on her yearning body this morning.

 

"Ohh but you smelled so good," he groaned into her ear, pushing his cock into her, "I couldn't resist."

 

Jill moaned and gasped repeatedly back at him in response as he began to fuck her, the sexy dream she'd had must have already been making her wet before he came in to wake her for breakfast, most women were self conscious about their sex scent but men were hard wired to find it irresistible and it would seem as though even Julian was not immune to it.

 

"Why the straps?" Jill breathed, wrapping her legs around him and mewling with desire and pleasure. He was panting now, right on her neck and she moaned long and loud, her skin tingling with shivers and goosebumps.

 

"I like them," he barely managed and Jill cried out, feeling her second orgasm building up. 

 

"Kinky," she breathed, "J-Juliaaaan!"

 

"Fuck!" he hissed into her ear, her trembling, clamping pussy coaxing him into climax, his lips finding her breast as he squeezed one and suckled the other, causing her to cry out in ecstasy as she felt the sensations of heightened sexual pleasure overwhelm her completely.

 

"Mmm, did you enjoy that baby?" Jill drawled, satisfied.

 

Julian slowly withdrew from her, she felt instantly cold and empty when his body moved away from her own and she felt herself craving to lay with him and cuddle for a while before he left but Julian was already unstrapping her and helping her to sit up. A stark reminder that he was only looking for some sexual relief and nothing more, but she was determined to work on that and as he put his clothes back on, she saw him take up a fresh bandage and start to wrap it around his forearm. Jill quickly moved to stop him and their eyes met, he looked annoyed with her but also confused.

 

"What are you doing?" he asked her, as she pulled the bandage away.

 

"It's a work of art," she said to him gently, "you shouldn't hide it."

 

Julian slowly smiled at her and she loved the way he looked just then, as if he'd never been complimented so openly before and perhaps he hadn't? Critics were one thing, but she wasn't an art critic, she was just Jill and she was very much in love with him and she really, really wished he would come to understand that and soon.


	8. Rules And Law Enforcement

Jill went into the bathroom and drew herself a nice, warm bath. Julian brought her breakfast in and sat it beside the tub, she wanted him to kiss her but he left and closed the door without a second glance back at her and she felt that well, at least he cared enough to have brought her something to eat while she rested and relaxed in the bath.

 

Julian had his reasons, if she got hungry and came out of the bathroom too quickly, she would see the police, who were just now coming to his door.

 

They explained to him that people had grown concerned after a young lady was asking about Julian and hadn't been seen since. He assured them that she was not here, but they insisted that they had to at least take a quick look around. Julian kept himself at a distance, following them around and doing his best to remain calm and casual while they checked out the ground floor and the first floor. When they moved up onto the second floor, he felt nervous and hung back, they found the locked door and fumbled with the lock, then they finally got it open and that's when everything sort of went wrong again.

 

Upon hearing the fumbling at the door, Flynn prepared himself to lunge at Julian but didn't realize until it was too late that the person was in fact a policeman and he received two bullets in his chest before he got anywhere near the guy.

 

"What the hell?" the other policeman drew his gun.

 

"Looks like he killed her," the first policeman said of Bianca, who was still propped up against the far wall.

 

"How'd they get locked in?" wondered the second policeman.

 

"I don't often come up here," Julian said carefully, "it is possible that they were dared to spend one night in this place and accidentally locked themselves in."

 

They accepted this explanation, called for an ambulance to take the bodies away and told Julian to make sure the locks were removed from all of the doors, to prevent this from happening again. He assured them that he'd get right on it and saw them out, a third officer had stayed near the front door and was looking over at Becky's car, which was in front of Jill's car, which was across the road from Julian's car.

 

"Those your cars?" he wondered.

 

"Yes," Julian said stiffly.

 

"All three of them?" the officer lifted a brow, "that one's pink!"

 

"Your point being?" Julian grumbled.

 

Becky's car was indeed a brightly colored hot pink, with pink seat covers and a pair of pink, fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror. The third officer smiled and leaned in to whisper at Julian's ear, Julian tensed up and blushed heatedly as the officer then walked away, winking at the flustered artist before he got into the patrol car and they followed the ambulance out of the street. Julian startled as Jill put her hand on his shoulder, she quietly apologized and asked him what was going on.

 

"There's a thing in the water," Julian told her, "it seems to have eaten everyone. Do steer clear of it."

 

He promptly walked back inside, leaving her feeling weak in the knees at the sudden realization that her sister and her two friends were gone, not that she was fussed about Flynn and Bianca, the traitors, but Becky would be missed, she felt that pain all too strongly as she made her way back inside to sit down and though he acted like he didn't give a damn, Julian soon brought her in a cup of tea. He was so British, she would have preferred coffee but she accepted it anyway.

 

"What will you do now?" he asked her, as she calmed down and had stopped crying some minutes later.

 

"I'm not sure," Jill replied, sniffling, "I-I'd like to stay here with you."

 

Julian was silent and she could not read his expression, he was a loner and liked his privacy, his freedom and the silence of it all to be able to find his muse and work on his art whenever he needed to and without having to stop for whatever reasons, such as feeding or entertaining a pregnant housemate, she understood that but his silence wasn't exactly telling her no.

 

"What are you thinking about?" Jill wondered.

 

"Acrylics," Julian spoke distractedly and she had to smile and bite back a giggle as he looked at her and frowned, "sorry, what?"

 

"I said I'd like to stay here with you," Jill repeated, "I won't be any trouble."

 

Julian shifted and sighed heavily, he'd definitely heard her this time and it wasn't looking very promising for her.

 

"You can just cut off your entire life just to stay here?" he asked her with a gentle shake of his head, trying to understand what she was saying.

 

"I have a car," she replied softly, "I know how to travel and use a phone, Julian."

 

He sat back, looking her over and all he could think of was wanting to be left alone, why was that so hard for people to understand of him?

 

"Julian?" she prompted him again.

 

"Of course!" he stood up and rushed off, leaving her dissatisfied as to his actual response, was he just having a eureka moment or was he letting her stay?

 

"Julian!" she called after him, but he'd wandered off so quickly, she hadn't had time to really take notice of which way he'd gone.

 

It was growing to become a hot, sticky and rather humid day, she stood up and went to the kitchen window and gazed longingly out at the lake, it looked nice and cool and she really didn't think that Julian was being serious when he'd mentioned something had eaten everyone, surely if this were true there'd be a lot of people down at the lake trying to catch it? Still, he had asked her not to go near it, so she turned away from the window and went in search of the controls that would allow her to control the temperature inside the building, but where to even start looking for them?

 

"Julian?" she called for him, starting up the first flight of stairs, "baby? Where'd you go?"

 

She felt lost and afraid in this place when his presence couldn't be felt, it was a cold and eerie place, filled with haunting furniture that filled her overactive imagination with so many scary scenarios from all those horror movies she'd watched in her lifetime, minds were funny like that, she hadn't given those films a second thought until just now. No response, she slowly climbed to the second floor and looked around, it seemed to get darker and gloomier the higher she went, this was confirmed when she reached the third floor and her voice echoed as she continued to call for him. She kept expecting a zombie or a ghost to jump out at her, her heart was beating erratically and her hands shook as she ventured to the fourth floor, then the fifth.

 

"Julian?" she called once more, her voice quaking in near terror.

 

She heard a door creak open, then slam shut and she jumped, her stomach sinking as she froze to the spot in fear. Julian suddenly appeared from a darkened hallway and she yelped, partially in shock and partially in relief that she had finally found him.

 

"You really shouldn't be up here," Julian scolded her, grabbing her roughly by the arm and hauling her towards the stairs. Jill knew he was very upset with her, so she stumbled along with him until he'd brought her back down to the ground floor, his eyes were fierce as he let go of her at last and she shrank back from his bared teeth.

 

"I told you not to go past the first floor!" Julian chastised her.

 

"I got scared!" Jill defended herself.

 

"Then perhaps you should just go home!" Julian demanded, "I can't be bothered babysitting some frightened little girl!"

 

He looked disgusted and stormed off, Jill swallowed a lump in her throat and she thought that perhaps it would be better if she did just leave him alone, but the thought just broke her heart, nobody deserved to be alone, she couldn't do that to him but truly Julian really didn't care one way or the other about being by himself. He'd never really known any differently, so he didn't know what he was missing, that way, it didn't actually affect him and he reveled in the silence that some would otherwise deem lonely and depressive. It fueled his muse and delighted his artistic mind, it set his imagination free from the shackles of distraction and he often became so obsessed in his art that he would spend days at a time up there, only stopping when he couldn't stay awake a moment longer, or if his body needed taking care of in some other way.

 

Jill walked back to the living room, she needed to sit down and have a long and serious think about this, but no matter which way she looked at it; Julian had her heart in his hands, whether he knew it or not, whether he wanted it or not.


	9. Bad Company

In the evening Julian was drawn downstairs by the aroma of something delicious and he was happily surprised to discover dinner waiting for him when he got to the dining room.

 

"What is this?" he asked, seating himself and readily accepting the gesture.

 

"I just wanted to apologize," Jill smiled at his eagerness to enjoy her treating him, "I shouldn't have went upstairs."

 

Julian settled in and Jill joined him, hoping he would accept her apology but he didn't speak again until he was almost done eating. She looked at him across the table and smiled at him, he seemed unable to complete his meal and yet unwilling to be so impolite as to push his plate away while it still had food remaining upon it.

 

"I've been thinking for a long time," Jill spoke to him, watching the light catch his eyes as he looked back at her, glad of an excuse to sit and rest his overfed guts, "I still want to stay here, but I've just burst in on you and asked you to date me and that's really very unfair of me. I could just live down here on the ground floor and I'll just, well, see you when I see you, I guess. It sounded better in my head."

 

"So basically you are wanting to be a housemate?" Julian surmised, "no relationship?"

 

"Well," Jill smiled at him a little, "yes and no. I would still like to maintain our physical relationship and try to build up to something more intimate, if you think that's alright."

 

"We can see where it goes," Julian compromised, "but I'm just not looking for love, Jill."

 

She nodded, deflated but still hopeful that she could change his mind, nothing was ever set in stone.

 

There came a knock at the door and Julian didn't react at first, unaccustomed to such a sound and only when it happened a third time, with Jill looking at him in curious disbelief, Julian finally looked around and went off to answer it. Jill put the dishes away into the dishwasher, then she wandered into the foyer to see what was going on and she bit her bottom lip in amusement to see a young man standing at the door. Julian looked him over, it was the third police officer from earlier that day, coming to visit and now out of uniform and off duty and he introduced himself as Armond.

 

"I hope I'm not unwelcome," he said to Julian, "I um, can I come in?"

 

Julian was about to tell him to fuck off, when Jill leaned over his shoulder and smiled brightly at Armond.

 

"Of course you can!" she said happily, "come on in, we were just finished with dinner."

 

Julian glared at her and she shrugged, feeling playful but Julian did not like to play games and he closed the door as Armond walked in.

 

"Thank you," Armond said with a nervous smile, "I am sorry, I didn't realize you had company, Julian."

 

"It's alright," Jill said to him, "we're not together."

 

"Oh okay," Armond nodded, following her into the living room, "that's good because I was worried I might have intruded upon something."

 

He sat down and Julian sat across from him, while Jill took a stance somewhere in the background, watching in amusement as Armond talked to Julian about this and that, making Julian angry because he didn't care much for idle gossip or small talk.

 

"Can I get you a cup of coffee?" Jill offered.

 

"I've brought beer," Armond held up a case, "you could put them on ice to keep them cool though."

 

Jill didn't mind and she did as he requested, Julian wasn't fond of the stuff but he wasn't impolite and accepted the first two, then he was relaxed and simply helped himself after that. Jill leaned down over the back of Armond's chair, grinning.

 

"Hey Armond," she said loudly enough for Julian to hear, "don't you think Julian has pretty eyes?"

 

Armond blushed and Julian's eyes met with Jill's.

 

"..The fuck are you on about?" Julian asked her, not as sober as he'd like to have been in that moment but unable to do anything about it now.

 

"Your eyes," Jill said firmly, "they're beautiful!"

 

Julian did not look impressed.

 

"Actually to be honest," Armond said slowly, drunk as hell, "they kinda freak me out a bit."

 

Julian smirked triumphantly at Jill, who pouted and gave a sigh but she wasn't giving up yet.

 

"Why are you still here?" Julian grumbled to Armond.

 

"Aw come on, Julian," Jill looked at him in disbelief, "I think he has a crush on you, don't be so mean!"

 

Armond's face turned beet red and Julian leaned back, closing his eyes and relaxing into the sofa. Jill prompted Armond to get up with a nudge of his arm and Armond stumbled over to Julian, joining him on the sofa and starting to nuzzle at his neck, just behind his ear. Julian grumbled something obscure, feeling a hand upon his thigh and he turned his head, Jill looked on as they started to make out and she felt so steamy, but then Julian sort of went limp and Armond sat back with surprise.

 

"Damnit," Jill muttered, "I thought artists could hold their liquor?"

 

"Actually he is the cleanest artist I know," Armond said hazily, "doesn't do much more than perhaps a cigarette or two, I think?"

 

Jill sighed heavily, shaking her head because it was always a fantasy of hers to see two guys fuck but she figured it just wasn't going to happen here, at least not tonight anyway.

 

"Can I call you a cab?" she asked Armond.

 

"I have a ride actually," Armond said, standing shakily to his feet, "thank you for trying, but it isn't meant to be."

 

Jill saw him out and when he was gone, she switched off the lights and put a blanket over Julian, then she went to bed and hoped he wouldn't fall off the sofa during the night or choke on his own vomit before morning and it was that thought alone which made her eventually go and sleep in the armchair, just to make sure that if he did throw up, she could at least turn him onto his side.


	10. An Innocent's Death Sentence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning/Controversial Subject: Discussion of abortion

Morning came and Jill was awake first, checking on Julian carefully so as not to disturb him as he slept. She was pretty sure he was going to be hungover today, so she figured he'd enjoy to remain unconscious for as long as possible. It was an interesting place he had here, so she would never get bored at all and she really hoped he would let her stay for as long as she wanted but for now, she turned her attention towards her bulging abdomen. Flynn's baby, how could she possibly have it now? He was a murderer and she'd not be surprised if later on, they found Becky's body hidden somewhere in his house or backyard. It made her shudder to think that the child within her womb might turn out just like Flynn, how could she be sure? If it grew up to murder someone, she could never forgive herself. She decided to think on it and a month later, she had made her decision. Julian was just emerging from his fifth floor room one evening, washing up before heading down to dinner. He'd grown accustomed to Jill being around to feed him regularly, it took a lot off his mind not having to remember to cook for himself and it freed up a lot of time, too.

 

"Hey, there you are," Jill smiled at him, "how's it coming along up there?"

 

"I'm almost done," Julian revealed to her, "I'm.. I'm just missing something."

 

"I'm sure you'll find it," Jill encouraged him and he nodded, but he didn't look to her like he believed her and his brow furrowed while he sat silently. During the meal, Jill looked up and cleared her throat, so Julian paused to wonder what she wanted to say.

 

"Yes?" he asked.

 

"Julian, I've been thinking long and hard," Jill told him.

 

"About what?" he asked her.

 

"About this," Jill replied, rubbing her abdomen.

 

"Oh yes," Julian looked down at it, "you must be what, six months?"

 

"Actually, I'm just about due," Jill replied, flattered that he thought she was not a whole nine months pregnant. Julian didn't know much about it, so he just nodded and then he sort of looked at her curiously.

 

"What's on your mind, Jill?" he wondered.

 

"I.. I don't want it," she said softly, lowering her gaze from his.

 

"Why?" Julian had to know.

 

"I have my reasons," Jill replied vaguely, "I'm scared, Julian. I need your help."

 

"What?" Julian set down his fork, "what do you need me for?"

 

Jill took in a deep, shaking breath.

 

"I want you to get rid of it for me," she told him.

 

"I suppose I could drop it off at the nearest hospital," Julian figured, "they have to take newborns without question, you can remain anonymous and.. "

 

"No," Jill interrupted him gently, "no Julian, you don't understand. I want it gone."

 

Julian stared at her obliviously for a moment, isn't that what he'd just suggested?

 

"Gone," he repeated, "as in.. "

 

"As in dead," Jill said quietly, "I don't want that killer's baby to see the light of day."

 

Julian pushed his bowl away and Jill swallowed nervously, was he going to kick her out? Julian's heart was racing, dare he even imagine it would be this easy?

 

"Julian please," Jill spoke firmly, but her voice was trembling, "I don't have insurance, I can't afford a late term abortion and you're the only one I trust right now."

 

Julian felt amused that she trusted him at all, just because he was engrossed with his artwork on the fifth floor, didn't mean he had changed as a person.

 

"Alright," Julian said warily, "go and take a bath, I'll see what I can do."

 

Jill stood to her feet, her knees almost giving out as she could not believe she was actually going through with this.

 

"Thank you," she whispered, making her way to the bathroom.

 

Julian felt mixed emotions right then, he was sickened by a mother's determination to execute her own offspring, blaming the father instead of her own ignorance but he was equally thrilled because here was a chance to complete his artwork upstairs. He imagined he would have had to contact someone overseas and perhaps have to wait for weeks on delivery, but here was a fresh body right inside his home, how could he pass it up? An hour later, Jill came back out from the bath, wearing a robe. Julian looked around at her and guided her to the fifth floor, she pulled back, fearful.

 

"Why are we going up here?" she asked him, "I'm not allowed up this high."

 

"No matter about that," Julian replied, "come along, I'm ready to show you anyway."

 

She followed him, her legs weak from nerves and excitement, she was finally going to see what was on the fifth floor but what did it have to do with her? Julian unlocked the door with a key, it opened slowly and he switched on the lights. Jill blinked because it was so bright, following him cautiously into the room.

 

"What is it?" she gasped, her gaze falling upon a large object to her left. It resembled a pod of some sort, just a large, bulbous mass.

 

"You'll find out soon enough," Julian promised her, "come, lay on this bed and we'll begin."

 

Jill took his hand and obediently lay on the bed, while Julian brought up some websites on his computer nearby. It was silent for several minutes, save for the soft whirring of the machine and the occasional click of the mouse. Her stomach was doing flip flops, she was so nervous.

 

"Well," Julian's voice finally broke the quiet, "the good news is, I can definitely help you."

 

Jill sighed with relief, her heart pounding in her chest and sweat gleaning her forehead.

 

"Is there bad news, too?" she asked him.

 

"Of course," Julian nodded, "it's going to hurt. A **lot**."

 

Jill shuddered, trying not to panic.

 

"Can you give me something for my pain?" she asked, terrified now of suffering pain.

 

"Hm?" Julian looked at her curiously, "oh, I didn't mean you."

 

Jill suddenly felt awful, here she was thinking about herself when it was the baby who was about to be pulled apart, piece by piece. Julian held up a pair of forceps, smiling at her calmly.

 

"Do I have to be awake for this?" she asked, her whole body trembling now and her teeth starting to chatter.

 

"If you're not, you'll miss all the fun," Julian answered her, coming closer to affix straps around her to hold her body as still as possible.

 

"Fun?" Jill couldn't believe it, "what's fun about dead baby bits coming out of my vagina?"

 

"Oh don't be so dramatic," Julian scolded her, "it says here the baby's heart can often be found beating, even after it's no longer got any limbs, so technically it's live baby bits."

 

Jill looked absolutely mortified, gagging as she tried not to throw up.

 

"Stop it, Julian!" she protested, "it's hard enough!"

 

"Just lay still," Julian ignored her, "I don't want to accidentally pull some bowel out, or perforate your uterus, then you'll definitely be howling, understand?"

 

Jill felt tears beginning to well up into her eyes and her bottom lip quivered.

 

"Fine," Julian set down the forceps, "I have some chloroform actually, would you like that?"

 

Jill sniffled and nodded, too panicked and scared to wonder what the hell he was doing with that stuff in the first place. Julian reached into a drawer, took out the bottle and carefully wet a cloth with the chloroform.

 

"Now," he said smoothly, placing it over her nose and mouth, "deep breaths, that's it."

 

Jill's eyes rolled as she breathed deeply, the last thing that registered as she fell into the abyss of darkness and sleep, was her baby, suddenly awake and stretching around inside of her. 


	11. His New Artwork Is Finally Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disturbing Content

Jill felt the beginnings of consciousness, it was strange because she felt as though she were floating in something soft and gooey. As she became more awake, she realized that she was in a dark place, she was nude and indeed floating, or rather held in place, in soft, gooey mud and her body ached. There was a device discreetly attached to her nose and mouth, helping her breathe but where was she? And where did Julian go? She instinctively reached down, her abdomen was soft and squishy, the baby was gone. She tried to call out, nothing came out and she could hear muffled voices coming from outside. She tried to feel around, touching soft walls and pressing to feel it stretch but not give way. How could she get out?  Drew wandered over to Julian, he was standing by his latest exhibit and everyone was milling around, eager for the first look at it.

 

"What's it supposed to be?" she wondered, looking at the now reddish pink blob.

 

"It's a womb," Julian announced proudly.

 

"A womb?" Drew got closer and squinted at it, jumping back when it stretched towards her, "is-is there something inside it?"

 

Julian picked up an oversized pair of forceps, everyone fell silent and the cameras started up, microphones everywhere. He walked closer to the seemingly pulsing piece, which moved only because Jill was trying to feel her way out of it. Julian knelt down, prodding the tongs into a small opening at the bottom of the artwork, sliding them inside with a couple of shoves. Jill startled when something sharp touched her leg and she withdrew from the sensation, she was blind in here and couldn't see a thing. What was that??  She could hear the muffled voices again from outside, it calmed her because she recognized Julian's tone.

 

"This is an interactive piece," Julian explained, grunting as he twisted and pulled, "it's not easy to do but.. Ah."

 

He finally began to slowly pull the forceps out. Inside, Jill was screaming silently, her flesh softened by the strange mud and so when something clamped onto her leg, it tore away after a few hard twists and tugs. She was in a lot of pain, realizing her joints had been severed for easy removal but why? She thrashed, trying to get out, trying to get away but she was tethered inside this thing, there was no way out. People gasped in shock and took a step back as Julian produced a slimy leg, placing it down onto the floor in front of him.

 

"Is it real?" Drew asked him.

 

"Of course it's real," Julian told her. Thinking it was simply a cadaver, Drew said nothing more.

 

"Would you like to have a go at it?" Julian offered her the forceps. Drew shrank away, shaking her head but several others opted to try it out and Julian stood back to watch along with everyone else. Jill felt another sharp clamp onto her arm, she thrashed and tried to break free, startling the person on the other end.

 

"It's moving!" the person jumped back, "it's alive!"

 

"Nonsense," Julian waved it away, "now come on, take your turn or step aside so someone else may have a go."

 

Disturbed, the person chose to step aside. The next person stepped up, twisting and tugging, eventually ripped off Jill's arm and placing it beside the leg Julian had removed earlier. This continued on, until only her head and torso remained. She felt sick and in pain, screaming and trying to thrash, how can she still be alive or even conscious?! She felt something prodding at her again, eyes rolling as she began to go into shock and welcome the throes of blanketed sleep.

 

"It's really solid," the man said softly.

 

"That'll be the head," Julian warned him, "you'll need to crush it, or it won't fit through the cavity."

 

Drew pulled Julian aside as the man worked and grunted, cameras flashing as people either left in disgust or hung around in morbid curiosity.

 

"What do you call this piece?" she wondered to him, "it's your most vile and disgusting work ever, Julian."

 

"Thank you," Julian smiled at her, genuinely pleased, "I call it 'Choice' if you must know."

 

Drew made a face at him, of disbelief.

 

"Are you trying to make a statement or are you just being an ass?" she asked him.

 

Julian laughed quietly, offering her a simple shrug as they turned their heads at the sound of a sickening crack.

 

* 

 

Five years later, a small boy walked over to his father and held up the corpse of a rat. It had been mutilated beyond recognition, but he seemed proud to display this to his father.

 

"Look what I made for you!" the little boy boasted excitedly. His father turned around and examined the body, nodding and ruffling his son's hair.

 

"Did you do this all by yourself?" he wondered.

 

"Yes!" the little boy exclaimed happily, "do you really like it?"

 

Julian knelt down and smiled at the boy.

 

"I _love_ it"

 

 

 

****

 

 


End file.
